Dispensing device



9, 37- w. J. FARNSWORTH El AL 2,070,264

DI SPENS ING DEVICE Filed June 17, 1935 F11; up .2

I'll; uRE' 5' III'IIIIIII MVEA/TORS W A'rroli' vfiy 1Y9 MR2 1 Patented Feb. 9, 1937 2,070,264

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSING DEVICE Ward J. Farnsworth and Jerry B. Bohland,

. San Jose, Calif.

Application June 17, 1935, Serial No. 27,040

1 Claim. (01. 312-67) Our invention relates particularly to means for stops short of the rear end to form a passage dispensing single items such as, for instance, at 8 whereby such materials as crumbs may drop slices of bread, although, of course the device may down to the open bottom below. be constructed to discharge more than a single A recess 9 is formed in one side of the bas article at one time. and extends upwardly a distance from the bottom It is one object of the invention to provide a as shown, the inner wall IU of this recess extenddevice of the-character indicated that is so coning upwardly to join the table 5 and forming a structed and arranged that it will hold a relaslot II between it and the outer wall. tively large quantity of the material to be dis- At I 2 is shown a slide disposed on the table 10 pensed, and yet will be so compact in form and 5 and extending the full width of the interior of so arranged and manipulated that it will occupy the housing I and a little less thanhalf its length. but a small space. An arm I3 is mounted on the edge of slide l2 to It is another object to provide a means of depend therefrom through slot II, this arm being the character indicated that will obviate the provided with a handle l4 projecting outwardly necessity of handling the material to be disthrough recess 9.

pensed, such as sliced bread, from the time it is By means of this construction the operator placed in the device to the time when it is taken may move the slide forwardly and backwardly off of the plate by the consumer, and one that Will on the table 5. When the slide is moved forwardly keep the-material clean and sanitary and in the it will push any article on table 5, such as a case of such material as bread, effectually keep slice of bread, off of its front end-and in its 20 the same from drying out. o rearward movement it will push such particles It is still another object to provide a'device as crumbs thatmay work rearwardly over the of the character indicated that is self-cleaning, top thereof off of the table into the passage 8.

that is, one in which crumbs and similar par- The top I has an opening l5 formed in 'its ticles wil-lbe automatically removed during the forward portion and 'is provided with anupnormal operation of the device. standing flange I6 extending along two sides Finally, it is an object of the invention to proand the back of, said opening. The front ends vide a device of the character indicated that will of the side portions of the flange extend forbe economical to manufacture, simple in form wardly to form ears as H, and in the ears I! is and construction, quickly and easily operated mounted a shaft [8 in which is journaled a flap 30 without the use of a coin or other token, strong, l9. durable, and highly eflicient in its practical ap- Connecting the front ends of the side portions plication. of flange I6 is a bar 20, this bar therefore lying In the drawing 1 at the base of ears IT. The bar 21! is spaced from Figure 1 is a perspective illustration of the the table 5, its bottom edge lying in the plane of 35 device, partly in section and with parts broken the under surface of top 1, and is provided with away. adjusting screws as indicated at 2|.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a portion of the At 22 is shown an adjustable bar lying fiat housing forming the base and showing the deagainst the front surface of bar 20 and provided livery control. with vertical slots as 23 engaging the screws 2|. Figure 3 is a front elevation of the structure By manipulation of screws 2! the bar 22 may be shown in Figure 2. I adjusted vertically so that the device may be set Figure 4 is a sectional view through a portion to accommodate slices of any given thickness. of the base showing the position of the slide op- The flap l9 overlies the front of this opening erating means. between bar 22 and the table 5 and also the in- 5 In the particular embodiment of the invenclined wall 3. If a stack of sliced bread is placed tion herein disclosed we show at l a base comon the table 5 and the slide l2 moved forwardly prising a rectangular housing open at the botthe bottom slice is pushed forwardly through the tom but closed on all sides, except a portion of space under bar 22 and against the flap IS. The

the front. forward movement of the slice pushes the flap 50 The front has a vertical part 2 and a sloping l9 open and permits the said slice to slide down or inclined part 3 which connects at 4 with ahorithe part 3 on to a plate or other receptacle. In zontally disposed table 5 spaced as at 6 from this operation the bars 20, 22 hold back the the top I. stack as a whole and permit only the bottom The table 5 extends rearwardly of the base but slice to be pushed out. 55

In a device of this kind it is desirable that a dust-proof and substantially air-tight housing be provided for the stacked slices of bread or other material, and this housing should be readily attached to or removed from the base, and should be so constructed as to permit the quick and easy disposal of the material to be dispensed therein.

The housing that we provide for this purpose comprises a sheet-metal rectangular housing as 24 that is closed on the top end and three sides only, the lower ends of the three sides fitting snugly in the flange l6 which thus frictionally supports the housing 24 in a vertical position on the base I and in direct and open communication with the table 5.

Connecting the front edges of the two side portions of the housing 24 is a plate 25. The lower edge of this plate is turned forwardly as at 26 so that when the housing is in position the part 26 will overlie the space between the flap l9 and the bar 22 and prevent foreign matter from entering at this point. The upper portion of the plate 25 is also bent forwardly to form a seat as at 27 and then upwardly as at 28 to form a door retaining flange.

The front edge of each side portion of the housing 24 is turned outwardly and then forwardly as at 29 to form seats for the side edges of the door as shown. A glass door 30 is provided and is of such a size that it will seat snugly in the seats 2'1 and 29, and this door is held securely in place by a catch 3| mounted on the top of the housing 24.

When the device is assembled as described a load of sliced bread may be placed in the housing 24 with its bottom slice resting upon the table 5 and the slide l2 moved back into the pocket 32, the door 30 being positioned as de scribed. The bread is now perfectly protected against contamination and may be dispensed as and is of substantially the same thickness as the slice or article to be ejected, thereby taking the load of the stack as the bottom slice is ejected.

In order that the device may be readily adapted for use in various locations we have made the flanged opening l5 square. Since as above described the bottom end of the housing 24 fits snugly within this flanged opening it also is square, and can be mounted on the base I with the door 30 facing in the direction shown in parallel relation to the end of the base, or it may be mounted on the base with the door 30 facing one side thereof. This arrangement permits placing of the base with either an end or a side foremost while maintaining the door in a desired position.

It is to be understood, of course, that while we have herein shown and described but one specific embodiment of the invention, changes in form, construction, and method of assembly and application may be made within the scope of the appended claim.

We claim:

A sliced bread dispensing device comprising, a horizontally disposed oblong housing having an opening formed in the forward portion of its top, a vertically disposed housing for sliced bread disposed thereon to discharge through said opening, a horizontally disposed table mounted within the first housing below said opening and the top of the first housing to form a pocket therebetween, said first housing having a recess formed in one side thereof provided with a slot in the top thereof communicating with the table top, an ejector slide mounted on said table to slide in said pocket and having 2. depending operating arm mounted thereon and projecting through said slot, the front end of the first housing having an opening formed therein to align with the table top to permit the ejection of a slice of bread by said slide, and a flap swingably mounted on the first housing over said front opening and above the same and operable outwardly by a slice of bread ejected therefrom to direct the ejected slice downwardly.

WARD J. FARNSWORTH. JERRY B. BOHLAND. 

